S5ARC | End-to-End Ecommerce SaaS Platform

The Challenge: E-commerce was too complex for the rest of us.

The current e-commerce landscape is polarized. On one end, you have massive, complex platforms like Magento or Shopify that require complex learning curve and setup time. On the other, you have informal selling via Instagram DMs or WhatsApp, which lacks inventory management and professional storefronts.

For millions of small business owners in markets like Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, these options fail to address a critical reality: Cash on Delivery (COD) is king.

I built S5ARC to bridge this gap. The goal was ambitious but simple: create a platform where a non-technical user could launch a fully functional, professional online store in under 60 seconds, specifically optimized for the COD economy.

The Solution: NextDash Commerce (S5ARC)

S5ARC is a multi-tenant e-commerce SaaS that strips away the bloat. It provides a frictionless “Launch before lunch” experience where users can claim a store, upload products, and start sharing links instantly.

Key Architectural Decisions

Building a platform that scales for thousands of stores required a robust technical foundation. I chose a stack that balances performance with developer experience:

• Next.js 15 (App Router): Leveraged for its advanced routing capabilities and server-side rendering, ensuring that every storefront loads instantly—crucial for mobile conversion rates.
• Multi-Tenancy: The core of S5ARC is its ability to handle dynamic subdomains (yourstore.s5arc.store). This was implemented using Next.js middleware to rewrite requests dynamically, serving the correct store content based on the hostname while keeping the backend unified.
• Type Safety: By integrating TypeScript, Zod, and Drizzle ORM, I ensured end-to-end type safety. This reduces runtime errors significantly and streamlines the development of new features.
• Database: A single PostgreSQL instance manages data for all tenants, with Row Level Security (RLS) patterns in the application logic to ensure strict data isolation between stores.

Developer Experience & Open Source

While S5ARC is designed for non-technical users, I didn’t forget the developer community. The platform is Open Source (AGPL-3.0), allowing developers to self-host or contribute.

Furthermore, the architecture is Headless-capable. I exposed a fully documented REST API, allowing agencies to build custom frontends (using Vue, Svelte, or mobile frameworks) while relying on S5ARC’s powerful checkout and inventory engine.

The Result

S5ARC is now live in beta. It successfully democratizes e-commerce access by removing the two biggest barriers: technical complexity and upfront cost. By focusing on the specific needs of COD markets, it provides a tailored solution that generic platforms simply cannot match.

This project represents a synthesis of modern web performance techniques, complex database architecture, and product-led growth strategies.

Roadmap: Evolving Beyond v1.0

S5ARC is a living ecosystem. While we started by solving the Cash on Delivery hurdle, our vision is to become the default commerce engine for modern entrepreneurship. We are actively evolving the platform to support diverse business models.

• Global Payment Integration: We are expanding beyond COD to support digital payments (Stripe, LemonSqueezy, or even local payment methods), allowing merchants to sell digital goods and service-based products globally.
• The AI Storefront Agent: We are developing an intelligent agent that creates custom storefronts via natural language. Users will be able to type “I need a dark-themed store for tech accessories” and the AI will generate the layout, copy, and color palette automatically.
• Bring Your Own Domain (BYOD): Full white-label support is coming. Merchants will soon be able to connect their own custom domains (e.g., www.mybrand.com) with automatic SSL provisioning.
• And many other awesome stuff: you got this.
• Explore the Source Code: Github